


Eureka

by landminecat



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Coping, F/F, F/M, Kaiju War (Pacific Rim), M/M, Panic Attacks, Pre-Movie: Pacific Rim (2013), Prequel, Technobabble, coping with loss, like seriously I just love the Jaegers okay, world at war
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-06 07:36:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20503250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/landminecat/pseuds/landminecat
Summary: In the face of a deathly kaiju threat PPDC asks the best and brightest to fight the war with them. Aided by a group of exceptionally skilled individuals Stacker Pentecost launches the Jaeger Program. One specific and very passionate team takes it upon themselves to create the best possible version of a Jaeger.This Jaeger will be known as Striker Eureka.Chapter 4 (artwork included):“So have you ever built a Jaeger of your own?”Her own? No, never. She did work with modifications, upgrades and such, trying to understand how others build things, but she never designed an entire Jaeger herself. Parts, elements, yes. But never an entire Jaeger.“No,” she answered silently. “Not yet.”“Well, I think you should,” he nodded vigorously. “If you’re so smart.”Maybe I should, she thought. Maybe that’s why I’m here. Maybe I should design my own Jaeger, much more advanced, much stronger than the ones currently in service. Maybe I should really look into it and put my talents to use.“Maybe I should,” she said after a while. “And maybe I will.”





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! This fanfiction has already been posted on my account in Polish. Sadly, the Polish Pacific Rim fandom is almost nonexistent, so I decided to translate the first few chapters and continue the story in English.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

**DECEMBER 2014, ALASKA**

Cath kept looking out of the plane window and couldn’t believe all that has been happening during the last year. Ever since August she felt as if the reality she was used to was suddenly being pushed away by something scary and unfamiliar. It was just a few months ago that she had a plan for life - graduate from high school, get admitted to MIT and work with prototyping new fighter jets. She was on a very straight way to achieve her goals - only in June she was awarded for her work regarding new coverage for stealth technology. It was very similar for her friend, Jin Takahashi, who came up with a much simpler and more intuitive programming for medical robots. He was with her on the plane now, similarly confused and a little anxious. They had no idea what to expect from Alaska. They only knew that they will be helpin with creating new defense systems because of their outstanding performances at school. The world was at war and there was no way to tell whether it was going to stop anytime soon.

Less than a year ago, a very warm and pleasant August day became actual hell for the residents of San Francisco, then for the rest of the world. A giant monster has appeared in the bay and before the military managed to stop it, it destroyed everything and everyone on its way. There were talks about tens of thousands of victims. At the beginning everyone thought that it was just a one-time event. Unfortunately, next monsters appeared close to Manila and Cabo San Lucas. It didn’t seem like the attacks were about to end any time soon.

Cath remembered the beginning of it all very well. Too well, perhaps. She was sitting on a couch in an apartment she was renting in London, getting ready to go back to school and adding some finishing touches to one of her papers. Jin, her flatmate at the time, was watching TV and filling some forms he needed for some additional classes. At some point all programmes stopped to show an emergency broadcast of a monster destroying San Francisco. At the beginning Cath thought it to be some kind of a joke or a movie trailer. She understood what was really happening only when she tried to change the channel, only to see that every single one was broadcasting the exact same thing.

Jin froze with a cup of tea in his hand, unable to believe what he was seeing. For the duration of the entire broadcast none of them said a word. The world was definitely not expecting such an event and was definitely not prepared to counter it. Neither did Cath. Even though the monster was many miles away she could not shake the incredible fear crawling under her skin. For a long time every single sound she heard during the night kept waking her up with a racing heartbeat. The overall panic didn’t help - people assumed that an apocalypse was coming and that they need to stock up on different products, so there were almost no items left in the shops. Many trade deals have been suspended. It was not just the Pacific countries suffering because of what happened.

It took six days to bring the first monster down. Standard weaponry was no match for its skin and size. What’s more, the beast seemed to be intelligent - at least intelligent enough to know that the fighter jets trying to shoot at it were dangerous, so it took them down with one swing of its giant arm. The military lost a lot of flying units and many skilled pilots. Not to mention how many civilians lost their lives on this unusual battlefield.

And yet the monsters kept on coming - apparently they were getting to the surface using a breach deep in the Pacific. The scientists were doubling and tripling their efforts to understand the nature of this phenomenon, and yet it seemed to be beyond any understanding or laws of physics, for that matter.

After that everything happened very fast. Facing a potentially world-ending threat the nations came together to find a way to stop it. Surprisingly, even the usually hostile countries managed to put their differences aside for the time being just to try to come up with a solution. Cath knew that PPDC, a special organization formed by the UN, has officially begun a top secret project working on some kind of weapon to fight the monsters. In regard to that, they sent out invitations to renowned schools and universities asking for aid from their top students. Even though participation was voluntary, Cath and Jin didn’t hesitate for a second. If there was any way they could help, there was nothing to think about.

They were currently on their way to Kodiak Island - the location of PPDC Proving Grounds where all the workshops and laboratories were located. All they knew was that they were supposed to work with a team of engineers and programmers. There was no time to share the details with them before they left - they were only informed that everything will be explained once they arrive on site. They had less than twelve hours to pack their belongings and sign all necessary documents. Cath has never seen so many files in one folder in her entire life - all those NDAs were still merging into one in her head, but then again, what else can you expect from the UN? Just in case, there was an official making sure that they both filled everything in correctly, so everything took twice as much time.

Paradoxically, after making the decision to join PPDC she felt better and much safer. She couldn’t imagine hiding inland and waiting for the events to unfold. It worked for her, sure, but she was still glad that her family was in Europe, which seemed to be out of the monsters’ interest. At least for a while.

The plane landed on a small airfield. They were supposed to get onto a chopper that would take them directly to the base. After getting out on the tarmac Cath felt an ice cold wind almost sweep her away. She could have expected it. December was probably not the best month to be in Alaska.

‘I think I preferred the wind and rain in London,’ she said to Jin, trying to wrap her scarf mor snugly around her neck.

‘I’ll remind you of your words as soon as you start complaining about the British weather again,’ Jin was obviously trying to crack a joke, but she could see that he wasn’t very comfortable either. They were tired, hungry and freezing. Also, they haven’t had much sleep in the last twenty four hours.

Upon entering the airport (or a weirdly constructed bus station, as Cath noticed) they finally managed to shield themselves from the wind. They picked the luggage up from the belt and noticed a man holding a card with their names on it. The man was tall and well built, dressed in a warm coat with fur on the collar and what looked like a similarly warm hat. Cath immediately felt envious.

‘Good afternoon, sir,’ she said, trying to be as polite as possible given the circumstances. ‘My name is Catherine Keats and this is Jin Takahashi. At your service.’

‘Yeah, I kinda wish it was good,’ he murmured under his breath and hid the card he was holding somewhere under his jacket. ‘Mark Daniels. I’m taking you to Kodiak Island. Let’s get out of this shithole.’

Cath sighed as she noticed a coffee stand located almost in an arm’s reach. Jin followed her eyes and blinked a few times to make sure that he was actually seeing an opportunity to finally drink something warm.

‘Can we make a quick stop to get something to eat?’ he said, gesturing at the coffee stand. ‘We’re cold and starving and all we got on the plane was a stale sandwich an an apple.’

Mark rolled his eyes and looked at his watch. For Jin, it seemed like he took a few long minutes to actually consider his request.

‘Alright,’ he finally answered with a long sigh. ‘But make it quick, yeah?’

The coffee was actually not that great and the cookies were probably laying on the counter for at least a few days, but neither Cath, nor Jin had the strength to even comment on that; especially since this coffee was the first warm drink they had ever since they left London.

When they entered the chopper with Mark and somehow managed to fit the luggage in as well, their moods have definitely been lifted by the warm beverage. The actual flight to the Proving Grounds was much shorter than they expected. Unfortunately, they immediately noticed that the weather was even worse the closer they got to the base.

The Proving Grounds were actually still under construction. Naturally, the larger part was already done, but Cath noticed many construction cranes and materials scattered around the island. What seemed to be the main building was surrounded by huge hangars. She shrugged a little. What were they going to build here? Commercial airplanes?

When they entered the base it finally got a little warmer. The main giant hallway resembled a very busy street with people constantly trying to walk in every direction possible. They were passed by mechanics, people in hazmat suits, military and even a few men dressed in well-fitted suits. Everything seemed to be going on very fast, keeping everyone busy with their specific jobs. It wasn’t a surprise, however, considering that another attack could happen any minute now. PPDC were clearly trying their best to show that they have everything under control.

After finding the briefing room Cath and Jin went inside and took a seat. Many people were already there, chatting away or looking into computers and files. Mostly kids, probably barely of age. The oldest person in the room might have been maybe twenty two years old.

‘Hey there,’ they suddenly heard someone speak right behind them, so they both turned towards the voice. ‘You’re just on time. The first briefing is supposed to start in an hour.’

‘An hour? The itinerary we got says it was supposed to be now.’

‘Yeah, it was, but there are still a few people on their way. The weather in Anchorage is awful.’

‘Why am I not surprised,’ Cath murmured more to herself than the man in front of her. Still, he smiled a little.

‘By the way, I’m Jacob Danvers. Nice to meet you. The guy over there,’ he pointed towards a man with a posture very similar to his own, ‘is my brother, Adam.’

‘Nice to meet you too,’ Cath reacted immediately. ‘My name is Catherine Keats and this is Jin Takahashi.’

‘Hey, are you hungry? There’s a catering table on the other side of the room. Just help yourselves.’

“Catering” was probably a little too much to describe what was actually set up on the tables. Some soup, sausages and potato puree, accompanied by dried bread and vacuum flasks with coffee and tea. Still, Cath and Jin were not ones to complain. Especially since they were incredibly hungry at that point.

‘I hope that the standards they have for food don’t apply to everything else here,’ Jin tried to be funny once again, but Cath knew that he was actually using his sense of humor to mask the way he was actually feeling. He had his own plans for the future too. Or for his teenage years, for that matter. He probably never suspected that he would end up working for the military. But war is war. You gotta do what you gotta do. Especially since Jin was exactly the type of guy to leave everything behind for the greater good.

‘Stop complaining,’ Cath was chewing on one of the sausages and reading the brochure they got once again, even though she knew it by heart by now. ‘Especially since it’s probably our last chance to get some rest. You should cherish this moment. Enjoy it.’

Jin made a funny face and they kept talking nonsense for a while just to keep themselves distracted from the circumstances around them. The weird feeling in their stomach was probably there to stay. A completely foreign place, a military base, so far from home… on one hand they should be used to it, they both came to London to study and left their families behind. On the other, it was different to go abroad to enroll at a school and to go abroad to join a military project funded by the UN. Sure, they were a little uncomfortable. Hopefully it was going to pass.

Ultimately all the discussions were cut short when Marshall Pentecost entered the room. It suddenly got so quiet that it was possible to hear the creaking of his shoes against the metal floor. His hands were folded behind his back and he was carefully eyeing all the teenagers in the room. Cath felt a weird shiver run down her spine. She has seen him on TV, yes, and read many articles about him. Yet his presence itself radiated such confidence that she couldn’t help but feel respect towards the man.

‘Welcome,’ he said after a while, turning around to take a look around the room once again. ‘As you are probably well aware, my name is Stacker Pentecost, PPDC Marshall. I am here to express my gratitude for your assistance. I will not hide the fact that we are facing a very serious threat. Luckily, our most talented engineers came up with an idea that could help us turn the tables to our advantage.’

Cath kept staring at Pentecost, unable to look away. She’s never met anyone with such charisma before. She glanced around the room quickly and noticed that everybody else was doing just the same thing.

‘As the most promising and the brightest, you have been chosen to work with technology so advanced nobody has even heard of it yet. Still, the work will be tenuous and exhausting. You will have to learn to adapt your skills to circumstances you never even thought possible. You will be working with the best mechanics and engineers in the world to build what the UN has asked us to build. The fruits of your labor will soon be known to the entire world.’

At this exact moment Pentecost turned on a screen located right behind him and showed a drawing of something that reminded Cath of some funny toys she used to have as a kid. At this point she didn’t yet understand what exactly they were supposed to do. Everything changed with the second image. She gasped in surprise, but then again so did half of the room.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ the Marshall smiled softly. ‘This is our future. This is a Jaeger. A Jaeger that we’re building here, on Kodiak Island, and thanks to this incredible creation we will finally be able to face the monsters as equals.’

It was then that the entire room, for the first time ever, saw the plan of a giant robot soon to be known as Brawler Yukon.

***

Jin was directed to a room with a young man named Bryce. Unfortunately, ever since the beginning he was pretty sure that they will not get along very well. Bryce was very quiet and didn’t even seem to notice that there’s somebody else in the room. That might actually be good, Jin thought. At least it will be easier to focus on work.

During the briefing Jin was informed that he was supposed to join the team working on Jaeger battle programming. He had no idea what the structure of the code was and how advanced the work already is, but he knew who he was going to work with and he didn’t even try to hide his excitement. Andre Moran was his idol ever since he started coding. He had no idea that he was going to meet him here; on the other hand, they  _ did _ bring the best to work on the project.

Only then did he realize how incredible of a distinction it was to get offered a place on this team. He assumed that it would never be possible under normal circumstances. Not only was he going to learn from the great Andre Moran himself, but he will also work on giant robots that seemed to be a pinnacle of innovation. He was really hoping that it wasn’t a dream, that he was actually going to take part in something so great and important.

Jin was good with numbers ever since he learned how to name them. His parents really wanted him to stay in Kyoto, his hometown, where he could have attended one of the best regional schools. Still, he insisted on going to London due to a recommendation from one of his teachers. The entry exams were not easy, but he was sure that he was going to make it - especially since it was that exact location where he could learn from the best. His hunger for knowledge was insatiable. One course and one type of specialization was never enough - he wanted to know more,  _ needed _ to know more.

Jin and Cath met early during their school years, but Jin was the more open and likeable part of the duo. He had to admit though that Cath has come a long way and was now much more approachable than when he met her first. At first she just seemed to tolerate him, but somehow over the years they became colleagues and ultimately very close friends. He was glad that it happened because he simply loved working with her. He was really hoping that he would also get a chance to do so here, in Alaska.

Considering the fact that he had a few hours of what seemed like his final free time, he decided to try and go to sleep. After breakfast the next day he was supposed to report to building D and learn exactly what he was supposed to be working on. Still, he was pretty sure that the excitement will not allow him to fall asleep fast enough to be well rested by morning.

***

Ever since Cath was a kid she was too mature for her own age. Never running around with other kids, always spending time alone reading, playing with toys or coming up with insane stories that would usually never be true, she didn’t have many friends growing up. She didn’t really mind though, usually minding her own business and trying to satisfy her curiosity by constantly learning new things. She finished primary school two years before she was supposed to, what made her parents realize that they should try to nurse her talents instead of worrying about her. Once she decided on becoming an engineer, there was no way to turn her back from that road anyway. Seeing how much satisfaction she was drawing from learning put her parents at ease. She might not have been the easiest and nicest person to be around due to her solitary nature, but when her mind was set on something, she was doing a  _ damn good job _ . In time, she also learned the benefits of having friends just as ambitious as she was, which was why she ultimately became close friends with Jin.

She entered her room - one that she was supposed to share with a girl named Gemma Prax - and after unpacking her things she decided to call her mother. She was always one to worry, especially during a time like this. Cath sat down on one of the beds and quickly selected her mother’s number from the contacts.

‘Hey, mom,’ she said as soon as the call went through. ‘I just wanted to let you know that I’m okay. I’m already in the base and I really need to get some sleep.’

‘Thank God,’ even though the phone Cath managed to hear her mother’s sigh of relief. ‘I was starting to worry. Are you okay?’

‘Yes. Just tired, so I’m gonna go now. Can you tell dad I said hi?’

‘Sure. Goodnight, sweetheart. Talk to you soon.’

She did feel like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She didn’t want her parents to worry. Not that they wouldn’t be worrying anyway; after all, she left London to go to Alaska to help fight a war against giant monsters. It’s not usually something you do before you graduate.

She went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. During the briefing Pentecost had informed her that she will be joining a group of engineers working directly with the Jaegers. Jaegers were giant machines, robots, operated by pilots to fight giant monsters called  _ kaiju _ . She couldn’t really wrap her head around it yet, but she did know that she was supposed to join J-Tech, group C. They were supposed to teach her everything they know so that she can start working as their equal as soon as possible.

When she left the bathroom she noticed that her roommate was there. With a first glance she surprisingly noticed that the girl was probably even younger than her.

‘Hey there,’ the girl said, smiling at her as soon as she entered the room. ‘I’m Gemma. You have to be Catherine.’

‘My friends call me Cath. Nice to meet you.’

A short conversation told Cath a little more about her roommate. She was supposed to work with neural networks and report do Caitlin Lightcap, who was supposed to teach her about the Jaeger-pilot interface. Apparently they were using experimental DARPA technology to control the Jaegers. She had no idea that such technology could be used for a machine as big and complicated as a Jaeger.

It all sounded so incredible, so surreal. Giant robots operated by pilots, fighting giant monsters. She was really hoping that this PPDC plan was going to work. Apparently a lot of research and tests went into it if they actually managed to convince the UN to fund this. Still, she did remember all the previous ideas to fight the monsters. She remembered that all of them failed miserably, resulting in death and destruction, each failure more painful than the last.

This was the first time she felt an uncomfortable sting of fear.

Fear that this was their last try. 

That if they don’t succeed, there’s nothing else they will be able to do to fight the kaiju.


	2. Karloff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though everything feels rushed, PPDC manages to put the first Jaeger together. Caitlin Lightcap solves the mystery of the Drift, but will it be enough to counter a kaiju's attack?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for any mistakes I might have made during the translation. As soon as I'm going to start writing fully in English, I'm pretty sure it's going to get better ;)

**FEBRUARY 2015, ALASKA**

Cath was pretty sure that she only managed to get a couple of hour of sleep during the last two months. Yes, she did expect that the work was going to be hard, yet still everything happening at the Proving Grounds was exceeding her most hardcore expectations. She did work with the best, that was true. Unfortunately, most of her responsibilities were somehow connected to doing donkey work for the engineers. Still, she didn’t complain, just clenched her jaw hard and kept going, because she learned more during these five months than she probably did in her entire life.

Building Jaegers did seem like an ingenious idea. The first one she’s ever seen, Brawler Yukon, left her with an incredible impression. The design itself was marvelous and she really believed that Jasper Schoenfeld did indeed come up with something revolutionary. Unfortunately, she was there every step of the way and could see that the construction was advancing at a very languid pace. Especially since she was aware of all the problems they encountered along the way. It wasn’t even the construction itself - the most problematic aspect was actually the Drift.

She talked about it at the beginning of February with Gemma. Cath could see that her roommate was very stressed. Allegedly during one of the first tests the neural load was too much to handle for Adam Casey, a USAF pilot, who suffered a stroke and unfortunately was beyond saving. The Jaeger literally fried his brain.

“The worst thing is,” Gemma said, going through all the test results, trying to pinpoint the exact moment when the load has proven to be too much, “we have no idea how to lower the charge. The connection was perfect for operating fighter jets, but the Jaeger is too big for that. There’s no way to find a pilot resilient enough to withstand the Drift. Caitlin is worried that all the tests will have the same result.”

“But is it the size? Or the complexity?”

“Probably both and probably something else, too. There are so many systems in a Jaeger that it’s very challenging to operate them all at once. We also have the motor functions to be concerned with. Honestly, I have no idea how one man can do this. Our brains were not meant to withstand so many stimuli at once. We could try launching the systems one by one and see what the actual range is, but we don’t have time for that.” Cath could hear the panic in her voice, but she was not really surprised. There was no way to tell when the next kaiju will hit and they needed to prove that this was actually a viable solution. Brawler Yukon was the cornerstone; without a success the project would most likely be terminated.

“Maybe it’s the construction of the neural bridge itself? Maybe the stimuli need to be filtered differently?”

“Maybe,” Gemma sighed and slouched on the chair, “But there’s no time. And no people, for that matter. We have to work with what we have and when -  _ if  _ \- it works, we can try looking into some other options.”

Cath understood her frustration very well. The engineers usually had to face some weight issues, but there were  _ so many _ other things they had to solve apart from that. The engine team had absolutely no idea how to effectively protect the nuclear core that was supposed to power the entire construction. Well, there was  _ an _ idea, but there was no time to implement it. Of course the drivesuit design did cover radiation protection to some extent, but there was no way to cover the entire body due to the specificity of the spinal receptors. Cath realized that the drivesuits will require just as much work as the machines themselves.

The chief engineer and designer of Brawler Yukon, Jasper Schoenfeld, was actually really getting on Cath’s nerves when it came to delegating responsibilities. She did understand that there was no time and that they had to rush it, but she couldn’t shake the worry that Brawler was just going to fall apart during its first battle. Of course the engineering team was doing their best to make sure that all connections were secure and that the muscle strands were appropriately powered, but there was so little testing time that they had no idea how the construction was going to behave as a whole. She was hoping that Jasper was right and that it would be enough to convince the UN that PPDC needs more money to perfect the machines. She didn’t even want to think what would happen if Brawler Yukon were to fail.

At some point in February another Neural Bridge test pilot appeared on the Proving Grounds. Sergio D’Onofrio was immediately supposed to take part in the next round of tests. The team was worried about the results, but they tried their best not to show it. Especially Gemma was trying to keep it together somehow. For the last few days she has been on edge more than usual.

On the day when Sergio was supposed to Drift for the first time Cath was working on documentation with Schoenfeld. She was almost done with technical drawings for the right hand and cockpit of Brawler Yukon. Schoenfeld was obviously irritated - whenever Sergio approached the engineer, he would sneer at him and be generally unpleasant in his presence. Cath didn’t want to dwell on it too much though; Schoenfeld’s personal preferences were not something she wanted to get into. Unfortunately, sometimes he would take his frustration out on her, commenting on every single mistake she made with unusual spitefulness.

At one point Cath noticed a commotion somewhere around the command center. Some of the mechanics left their posts and started running towards it. She stood up and followed the movement with her eyes. Was it another failed test? She suddenly felt something akin to a giant ball of ice in her stomach, trying to calm down. Schoenfeld quickly left his post and ran toward the command center too. She decided to go as well. If something bad happened, she wanted to know as soon as possible.

Much to her surprise she suddenly noticed Gemma speeding towards her, waving her hands and shouting something she was not able to hear in all the noise. At some point she noticed that her roommate was smiling. It took her a while to register what was actually going on.

“It worked!” Gemma shouted, not even trying to contain her excitement. “Caitlin accessed Brawler together with Sergio and they managed to divide the load! The Bridge is working! If you divide it among two pilots, the load is just enough!”

Cath was so surprised that she didn’t know what to say, even though she actually had thousands of questions. What happened? Where did the idea come from? Was the Bridge finally stable enough for the Jaeger to work? Did they finally reach the milestone they were hoping for?

Among all the shouting and laughing it was hard for her to communicate with Gemma, but when it finally registered that they have succeeded she couldn’t contain her excitement either. She took her phone out of her pocket and called Jin as he was outside of the base on that day.

“Jin!” she shouted, the tremble in his voice so obvious. “We made it! The Bridge is working!”

They didn’t talk for long, but Jin was just as excited to hear the news. It was indeed a huge leap forward for all the teams, not just Gemma’s. They were finally able to run ahead with all other issues. They were finally ready for the final test of Brawler Yukon.

***

Stacker Pentecost and the PPDC public relations team were planning to host a press conference at four PM. However, before they met with the journalists the marshall wanted to talk to the staff currently present in the base.

Gemma was checking the readings after the successful Drift between Caitlin and Sergio, monitoring their life functions at the same time, so she was not able to join the briefing. Cath grabbed a sandwich on her way to the main hangar where Brawler Yukon has just been put together. It was the only location in the base that could accommodate so many people at once.

She noticed her team and Jasper from far away. The engineer still seemed distressed. Deciding not to add fuel to the fire she pretended not to notice. Knowing from experience that whenever he was in a bad mood it would usually ricochet, she just sat down on one of the tool crates and started to eat the sandwich.

“Such recklessness,” she suddenly heard Jasper mutter under his breath. “What was she thinking? She could’ve died together with him!”

As she was not sure whether Schoenfeld was talking to himself or to her at the time, she focused on the sandwich and decided not to talk unless he spoke to her directly. Pentecost was supposed to arrive in five minutes, so there was a chance that he won’t have enough time to take it out on her. Whatever  _ it  _ was.

When the marshall appeared on a makeshift platform put together from used crates, everything suddenly went silent. Hundreds of heads turned towards the marshall, awaiting an official statement. It was the first time Cath noticed a shadow of a smile on Pentecost’s face.

“My dear friends,” Pentecost started, voice a little shaky from excitement. “As you probably already know, today is a great day. Doctor Lightcap and lieutenant D’Onofrio successfully managed to Drift with Brawler Yukon. Starting today all tests will be conducted based on two pilots, not one. We will have to modify the cockpit, but one of our main problems has just been solved.”

A round of applause made its way around the hangar. At that point in time, it was the Drift that was the most problematic aspect of Jaeger construction. Knowing that the entire design was supposed to be based on two pilots instead of one was actually a huge step forward.

“We will have to double our efforts now, but I am sure that by the time the next kaiju arrives we will be able to show what we’re made of. This information will go public today, but at the same time I need you to get back to your posts. Ladies and gentlemen, today we are making history!”

Another round of applause lasted for a few minutes and the excitement was clearly visible. Still, Schoenfeld didn’t seem to enjoy the overall atmosphere. On the contrary - when Cath looked at him she noticed that his lips were forming a thin line on his face because of how hard he was clenching his jaw.

“Keats,” he said to her when the shouting died down. “Report to me in the workshop with the rest of the team in an hour. We have to start modifications of the pilot harness. Display the plan on the wall before I arrive.”

“Yes, sir,” she answered, jumping down from the crate and deciding to take care of that immediately. “Everything will be ready in an hour.”

“I should certainly hope so.”

Cath sighed and made her way to a makeshift office on the other side of the hangar. She was anticipating an unusually busy afternoon.

***

Gemma was looking into the readings from the Drift and she could not believe her own eyes. It was all so obvious now. Dividing the neural load between two people was enough to control a Jaeger. Two minds connected with one another could easily handle the Drift and at the same time the combined skills of two pilots would also come in handy during a fight. Yet of course there had to be a catch. As soon as the pilots Drifted together and their minds became one, all their thoughts and emotions were in plain sight for the other. There was no way to hide anything in the Drift. On the other hand though, no conversation was necessary. Cooperation just worked automatically.

Gemma noticed that the load was divided in a very regular way - one pilot seemed to control one brain hemisphere. It gave them incredible potential when it came to using weapons and different fighting styles. She would have to talk to Jin about this, but she was pretty sure that it will prove useful for him too.

Except for a headache and some nausea there were really no side effects either for Caitlin or Sergio. Gemma checked their brain activity and everything seemed to be working normally.

“Prax,” she suddenly heard Caitlin speak. “How’s the results?”

“Everything seems to be in order,” Gemma answered. “I see no deviations from the norm. How are you feeling?”

“Weird,” Sergio jumped into the conversation. “It’s a little unusual to have somebody else in your head.”

He smiled at Caitlin, who returned the gesture. Gemma felt a little uneasy in their presence. Talking to one person is one thing, but talking to two who just shared their minds with each other was something completely different.

During the following days Gemma was trying to pinpoint how exactly the minds worked together in the Drift. It wasn’t really an open access - it was impossible to see all thoughts and memories of another person, but the feelings and emotions were shared in real time. The curious thing was that it was a great base for synchronization, but the results could be completely different if somebody tried to hide something while in the Drift.

She sighed. She was expecting a lot of work to create a special training program that would allow pilots to fit together in the best possible way.

“I suggest we spend a little more time in the Drift tomorrow,” Caitlin said after a particularly successful Drift session, getting up from the couch where Gemma was observing the test. “We can try to spend some time in Brawler to actually see how far we can take control.”

“Sure,” Gemma answered, opening a calendar on her tablet. “If you feel fine, I can schedule some time with the Jaeger for tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Sergio smiled. “Honestly speaking, I haven’t felt that good in a while.”

“Neither have I”, Caitlin smiled too, but Gemma picked up a hint of surprise in her voice. “I’m just hoping that there will be no delayed side effects. Gemma, can you please monitor and record all changes in the brainwaves? We will test the headsets today just to make sure.”

“Okay,” Gemma got up from her chair and headed towards one of the cabinets to prepare the hardware. “I’m glad you feel so positive about this.”

“Yes”, Caitlin smiled, this time directly at her. “Finally.”

***

Pentecost had forty minutes to prepare for his speech during the press conference. He didn’t like it, but he knew that there is no other choice. The project was one thing, but the approval of mankind was another. He knew that they had to present themselves as well as possible and gain public approval. Just beating the monsters was not enough - from the very beginning they had to be regarded as professionals and victors, experts who know what they are doing. Even if it’s not really true and they were still in the dark about some things.

He opened one of the cabinets in his office and chose one of the very elegant suits he bought for such occasions. He changed into it and made sure that all his insignia were clearly visible. If he has to be the face of this project, there can be no mishaps.

He reached for a tablet which had his speech displayed on the screen when suddenly his phone rang. He knew it was the UN even before he got to take a good look at the screen.

“Pentecost,” he answered.

“Good afternoon, sir,” he heard on the other side. “We heard that you were able to establish a functional Neural Bridge.”

“Yes sir. We’re holding a press conference in regard to this event in an hour.”

“Perfect. I’m hoping to see a full report on my desk as soon as possible,”

“Of course, sir. It should be ready in the next few days. The final test is tomorrow.”

“I understand. Please remember that if you succeed we will noticeably increase your funding. We discussed with other member countries that, after careful consideration, we might be able to give you more than we initially thought.”

This was something Pentecost did not expect. He was sure that they would have to fight for every dollar. Did it mean that the UN had absolutely no alternative? That they were not even considering other options? Were they seeing PPDC as humanity’s last hope? Or maybe this phone call was not meant to congratulate, but threaten him?

“Thank you. We will not let you down.”

“I sure hope so. Talk to you soon. We’re waiting for the conference then.”

“Talk to you soon then.”

The course of this conversation really surprised the marshall. He knew that it was not just PPDC that was trying to answer to the kaiju threat in a way. The main reason why there were working so fast was to show that it was actually possible. And yet if the UN was so cautious about their progress, it was possible that the decision has already been made. If Brawler Yukon succeeds, the Jaeger Program could finally be launched in full force.

His lips twitched in a quick smile. It could actually be a pretty good day indeed.

**APRIL 2015, ALASKA**

Cath woke up much later than she was supposed to. She stayed up working until three AM as there were still some problems with the drivesuits. The layer that they currently called “the armor” was luckily not that demanding. The worst part was placing the receptors in the drivesuit that was supposed to be placed underneath it. All sensors and electrodes had to be adjusted to fit a pilot perfectly, otherwise they won’t be able to conduct the signal. They did have a few problems with signal conduction before and the relay gel would soak into the fabric, irritating the pilots. The team tried to synthesize a different substance that would be less sticky and would not require a long visit in a shower after the test to wash it out completely, but there was no way to do it with the data they currently had.

She stormed into Schoenfeld’s office half an hour late. She was expecting some shouting and a few angry words. Her boss hated it when she was late, especially when there was so much work to be done. He was usually very careful about timing, never being late to any meeting. Cath hated being late too, but apparently her body was desperate for this additional half an hour.

Surprisingly enough, Schoenfeld did not comment on her being late. He was sitting by his desk, feet on the countertop, smoking a cigarette. Something was evidently wrong.

“Good morning,” she said quietly, not really knowing what to expect. “Boss, is everything okay?”

Jasper turned his head to look at her. He looked as if he didn’t get any sleep at all.

“No, Keats,” he answered, blowing out a puff of smoke. “Nothing is okay.”

It was the first time she saw him in such state. She had no idea how to react. Despite the fact that he was not a very friendly person, she still felt a pang of worry in her chest seeing him that way.

“Did something happen?”

“Except for the fact that I failed miserably? No, not really.”

She was stunned. What was he talking about? They were achieving success after success and the project was running smoothly for the most part. Why did he think that he  _ failed _ ?

“I don’t understand,” it was the only thing she could come up with to say to him.

“Well, how could you understand?” He sighed. “You’re young, there’s not a single thing you know about real life, kid. Me, on the other hand? I lost my wife. Then I lost the woman I loved. I couldn’t make any of them stay. Why do I need Jaegers then, if I have nothing and noone to fight for? Why are  _ you _ doing all this, Keats? Why did you even join the program?”

She had absolutely no idea what to say. It was the first time that she thought her reasons might be a little selfish. She was not fighting to protect someone specific, at least she didn’t feel like it. Her family was far away from it all and even though the kaiju could eventually be a threat to the entire human race, Europe was relatively safe for now. Maybe that was the reason why she felt like her goal was to actually learn more and work on the most ambitious project in human history, not really to protect those she cared about. What if that was not enough?

“I thought so,” Schoenfeld lit another cigarette. “You don’t know. Well, I don’t know either. Doing all this for myself seems like a bit too much. Yet I don’t think I would be able to do what Caitlin…  _ doctor Lightcap _ did. She was ready to sacrifice her own life to save Sergio, do you understand? She wasn’t thinking about herself for even a moment. Thanks to that impulse she was able to solve the mystery of the Drift. I would never do that.”

Cath did hear some rumors about Caitlin and Jasper being romantically involved in the past. Still, supposedly it was a long time ago. Was she the other woman he was talking about? Up until then she regarded it for what it was. Rumors. She didn’t give them much thought, really. But then again, rumors were  _ usually _ based on some truth.

“Boss, I…” She wanted to say something, but he interrupted her.

“Alright, enough of this bullshit.” Jasper put out his cigarette and threw it in a bin. “Let’s go. We have a lot of work to do. The drivesuits need work and I’m still not happy about the connection points.”

Cath nodded and sat down to work with some relief. Maybe her boss wasn’t the nicest person in the world, but she thought that at least she could understand him better now. Who knows, maybe at some point they will be able to work together much better.

***

Stacker Pentecost was drinking coffee and going through the most recent reports. The more time passed since the last kaiju attack, the more restless he felt. Hell, everyone was restless. Up until now there were not enough attacks to even  _ try _ and come up with some pattern, so they had to just sit on their toes and wait. And the marshall hated  _ waiting _ .

Even though he was a bit on edge because of all that, he still had to admit that he was extremely satisfied with the work of the recruits that voluntarily came to Alaska. Even though they were usually still just  _ kids _ , for God’s sake, their help has proven to be invaluable during the work with both the Jaegers and the Drift. He was hoping that possibly over the next two years they will be able to work independently, what would in turn allow PPDC to build and service the Jaegers much faster. Of course, Brawler Yukon still had to be tested in actual combat, but Pentecost refused to think that it might fail. As much as he couldn’t really rule it out, he didn’t want to think about any other outcome than victory. Still, he had to be prepared for it anyway. As much as this could all end in a worldwide success, he could also be packing his stuff tomorrow and getting back home for all he knew.

The reports did show that all combat systems were ready and operational. Brawler’s setup was tested and the Jaeger itself was fully equipped for battle. During the last few days the engineers were trying to modify one of the arms to fit a rocket launcher inside, but it was already some additional work for the foreseeable future. When it came to the Drift, Caitlin and Sergio were not fully synchronized, but it was getting better and better and now it was at almost eighty percent. As far as first tries go, it wasn’t bad. They did observe a few side effects that they would have to consider working with other pilots, but it was nothing serious enough to threaten the entire operation. Everything seemed to be going smoothly and Pentecost was hoping that they will be able to complete all tests in the following week and that they’ll be ready for any possible threat.

Unfortunately, the next kaiju didn’t give them that much time.

The alarm sounded suddenly, drowning out all other ruckus in the base. Stacker noticed people running around, fear visible on their faces. It suddenly dawned on him that this was it. This was the final test. They have two, maybe three hours before the kaiju reaches the shore. They had to work fast.

“Kaiju in the Breach!” a loud broadcast was launched all around the base, making sure everyone was alert. “All hands on deck! Operators to the bridge! J-Tech to the drop zone!”

The marshall put his cup of coffee away, straightened the lapels of his jacket and left his office. Time to finally do what he’s always been best at - crisis management.

***

Cath couldn’t remember running so fast in her entire life. She was trying to fit an earpiece on the way, but she slipped on the floor by the hangar and managed to steer clear of the wall at the last moment.

Be careful, she kept telling herself. We are prepared for this. We had so many drills. Just do your job and it’s going to be fine.

“Keats! Where the fuck are you?!” As soon as the earpiece was fitted, she heard an angry Schoenfeld shouting directly into her ear. She shrugged, but managed to control her emotions. No time for that.

“On my way, sir!” She replied. “ETA one minute. Is Caitlin and Sergio there?”

“Not yet, but the drivesuits are not ready! Get your ass over here right now!”

Luckily Cath was spared another set of profanities as she just climber the platform in the drop zone. The mechanics have brought the drivesuits, but she could see from far away that something was visibly wrong.

“Perfect,” she murmured to herself, checking all the pressure points. “If I find out who didn’t close the circuits after our last tests, I’m gonna kill them.”

“You’re not gonna kill anyone,” she heard Schoenfeld’s voice in her earpiece again, “You’re going to make this right. Chop chop! I have to check the control devices!”

Trying not to think too much about how Schoenfeld insulted her again, she took off her jacket (despite the temperature being relatively mild in the hangar, she suddenly felt very hot), put on a set of circuit gloves and placed the drivesuits flat on the floor. Caitlin’s left leg and Sergio’s right arm were overloaded. It was probably the first time in her life that she managed to replace a broken circuit in less than a minute. She sealed the pressure points, straightened the material, checked the relays and basically made it just in time before Caitlin and Sergio arrived on the platform.

“Ready to kick some kaiju ass?” Sergio was obviously trying to mask his nervousness with a sense of humor. He was just as stressed as Caitlin. It was their ultimate test too.

Cath helped them put on the drivesuits without saying a word, even though she was relieved to see that all pressure points were aligned correctly. After that, they were fitted with the armor part of the setup and a special spinal receptor was installed. This receptor was probably the most important part as it served as a motion control center for the Jaeger and at the same time acted as a centrifuge for the relay gel. The team managed to upgrade the gel itself a little, but the pilots will still have to deal with the soaking. It was probably just temporary though. If they succeed, they will have all the time they want to perfect the structure. Well, maybe until the next kaiju attack.

When Sergio and Caitlin suited up and positioned themselves in the harness, Cath’s job was done for a while. She noticed Gemma in the corner of her eye, running around and shouting at the mechanics.

“Make way, make way!” She was suddenly standing by the console. “Drop them fast, I have to initiate the Neural Handshake!”

J-Tech and the rest of the team left the cockpit, leaving only the pilots inside. When the cockpit was dropped on the huge body of Brawler Yukon, Cath held her breath. It was now. The final test. She felt like everything suddenly stopped around her because of the excitement.

On the other hand, she was also terrified.

“Neural Handshake in three, two, one!” She heard Gemma right next to her. “We have the Drift! Synchronization sixty percent and rising!”

Brawler Yukon was attached to six helicopters and carried out of the hangar. Everyone turned to face a giant screen transmitting the view from one of the helicopter cameras. A smaller screen right next to it was broadcasting current news.

“Keats!” Cath almost jumped at the voice of Schoenfeld in the headpiece. “Get to the bridge! Now!”

She turned on her heels and ran towards the center of the bridge. It felt like all the noise except for her heartbeat were drowned out. She tried to focus on it to calm down a little. Especially when she glanced at the screen and saw the kaiju Caitlin and Sergio were about to face. The giant monster was already close to the shore of Vancouver, destroying dreadnoughts with one swing of its huge arm. It moved around on two legs and the shape of its skull was uneven, making it look even more frightening. Its blue eyes glowed with a soft light, illuminating the huge jaw crowned with a giant claw. It looked like a golem from fantasy cartoons. Except it was much bigger and terrifyingly intimidating.

This is the moment, she thought. This is the moment when the monsters we were afraid of as kids are coming to get us.

She didn’t remember how she found herself on the bridge. Schoenfeld directed her to sit down in front of one of the computers. She was right behind Pentecost, who in turn was following what the cameras were showing.

“The kaiju is in Vancouver. I repeat, the kaiju has entered the city.” Pentecost was talking to a microphone and only then did Cath realize that he was actually talking to Brawler’s pilots.

“We’ll be there in 60 seconds,” Cath heard Sergio say. “All systems operational, Neural Bridge stable and holding. We will get this bastard, boss.”

Schoenfeld was monitoring all the readings, switching between a few screens in the process. Cath was surprised that he can analyze so much data in such little time. She knew that he was a prodigy in his line of work, but she was still impressed actually seeing him do it.

“Attention, time for drop!”

Cath directed her attention to one of the screens and noticed that the helicopters dropped Brawler two hundred meters away from the kaiju. The Jaeger immediately caught the monster’s interest. It started moving towards it, opening its mouth and trying to swing its arm. Brawler dodged in the last possible moment. Schoenfeld smiled.

“Good job, Brawler!” Pentecost was shouting to the microphone. “Now get it from the right!”

Brawler’s giant right arm took a swing and hit the kaiju hard. The monster’s head bounced because of the impact, visibly disorienting the creature. Apparently it was not prepared for such a welcome.

“We hit it!” This time it was Caitlin’s voice coming from the speakers. “Who’s up for barbecue?”

The pilots activated a retractable blade and and cut the kaiju’s arm with one swift move. The sound it made was chilling. At this point it probably realized that it needs to protect itself against the strange giant robot.

Its next blow was well thought out and sent Brawler flying into the nearby buildings. Caitlin and Sergio did not expect to be hit that hard. As they had no time to retract the blades, one of them broke and suddenly the entire left arm lost power.

“Rerouting!” Cath acted on instinct with no time to think anything through. “Fifty percent power in right arm and fifty percent in left. Restricted mobility.”

“Did you get that?” Pentecost asked the pilots as soon as the transfer was done.

“Yes”, it was Sergio who answered. “It’s not going to surprise us the second time.”

Indeed they managed to deflect the next blow. Maybe they did have less power in the arms, but it wasn’t anything serious enough to stop them. They launched four missiles, hitting the monster directly in the chest. Before it had time to recover from the impact, Brawler was on it and literally tore it in half. Both fell down among ruins with an incredibly loud thud. For a while the line was silent; all they could hear on the bridge was the pilots’ steady breathing and the clank of metal when Brawler was standing up. But Pentecost already knew.

They did it. Brawler Yukon just beat the kaiju.

“Marshall,” Sergio spoke after what seemed to be eternity. “The target is neutralized. Mission accomplished.”

“Good job, pilots. Get back to base.”

When stacker turned around to face the crew present on the bridge, he wasn’t even trying to contain his satisfaction. He smiled. Slowly, but very visibly.

“The entire world just saw that we’re no longer helpless,” he said, looking at the screen broadcasting current news; Brawler’s fight was the center of attention now. “We did it. Congratulations.”

He reached for the microphone and switched the the transmission to the hangar area. This is not the type of news that you keep hidden.

“Attention everyone,” he said, voice shaking a little with excitement. “We won! We did it! The kaiju is down. I repeat, the kaiju is down. Today, we celebrate!”

Cath registered very loud cheering and an even louder applause, but she also suddenly felt exhausted. She didn’t feel like celebrating. She was desperate for some sleep.

Suddenly, she felt someone placing a hand on her arm. She turned around to see Schoenfeld. He was  _ smiling _ .

“Great job, kid,” he said. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I always knew you were the right one for the job.”

Only then did she feel it. The warmth, and happiness somewhere around her stomach. They did it, they passed the most important test in their lives. The crazy amount of work paid off. They were finally able to fight the kaiju as equals.

“Thank you,” she finally answered. “I had a good teacher.”

“Stop it. You’re making me blush.”

“But it’s true!”

As the stress started to fade she finally felt herself relax. In that moment she felt like no kaiju could ever surprise them again. They want to destroy the planet? Let them try. They were not going to make it easy for them.

PPDC finally had a way to fight the hurricane.


	3. Onibaba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These kids were not ready. They had no way to deal with such stress. Maybe they were smart, but they knew nothing about life, they were never prepared for such circumstances. PPDC never really gave it much thought, focusing on the fact that the monsters had to be dealt with at all costs. And that was fair, yes, but now that they have finally achieved something they should probably make sure that their staff is well taken care of. If not, they could start losing people soon. And she was not thinking about the pilots.

**MAY 15th 2016, RUSSIA**

If somebody ever asked Jin about his preference in choosing between the Alaskan or Siberian cold, he would have definitely chosen Alaska.

It wasn’t just the temperature though. He didn’t know a single word in Russian and it was most likely going to take him a long time to learn the basics. On the other hand, the employees in the base didn’t really speak English either, so their communication was mostly based on gestures and drawings on post-its - just like kids in kindergarten.

Nevertheless, working with Andre Moran was satisfying enough that he tried to focus on that and most of the time it actually did the trick. Especially since Andre knew Russian very well and would save Jin from stressful conversations more often than not.

The successful christening of Brawler Yukon brought very visible results - the UN kept their word and kept money flowing into the program, resulting in construction of multiple Jaegers meant for operation in different types of terrain. An Academy was also founded in Alaska to train new pilots and Cath told him that there were hundreds of candidates applying every week. The Proving Grounds were also a hub for many innovations applicable to both the first and the lastest Jaeger models. But according to Jin, there was not a single machine that could currently rival the one he was working on - Cherno Alpha.

The first Jaeger meant for defence of the Siberian perimeter was designed keeping all the terrain specifics in mind. Special metal alloys were created to withstand the most extreme temperatures. At the beginning Jin was a little worried that the impossible weight and limited agility of Cherno could prove to be a problem, but somehow they managed to turn those features into its biggest advantages. Thanks to the weight, Cherno’s punch packed so much power it could send a kaiju flying with a single blow. Additionally, the fists were equipped with an infrastructure allowing the pilots to send a huge electric charge directly into the monster’s body. Creating inclusive programming for all those system was a huge challenge both for Jin and Andre, mostly due to the fact that the programming language was exclusive to Cherno and not applicable for any other Jaeger. Still, that way they could make sure that they use all the features of this incredible Jaeger to the fullest.

“Remember to focus on the body language,” Andre kept saying as they were reviewing the programming data. “Every move needs to be based on the source code. We have Tesla coils installed here and we need to make sure that they’re sufficiently powered. Oh, and make sure every single move is based on boxing or wrestling techniques, just like we said before.”

They already did the boring part, which was watching and analyzing hundreds of wrestling and boxing matches to apply correct programming to each muscle strand. Luckily, the material was flexible enough to deliver solid punches and sometimes even affect the ground the Jaeger was standing on. That in itself could already be a huge combat advantage if they played it right.

The work was hard - mostly because Jin had to code every single movement of every single part in a way that could be translated through the Drift. Many times they had to rewrite everything only because of the fact that there was not enough feedback from muscle strands. Or too much feedback. Sometimes it was a gamble as the amount of strands was not unified even among similar parts. Jin was really hoping that the engineers would find a way to keep it more simple. At least in terms of power so that they didn’t have to reroute it with programming between similar muscle strands.

Using Tesla coils was ingenious when it came to Cherno Alpha. Even a relatively small charge disorienting a kaiju for a few seconds was enough to give the pilots time to launch a powerful punch that could, if correctly aimed, literally crush the kaiju’s skull. Additional steam cylinders located in the arms only added to the overall brute force of Cherno.

Jin has already left the base when PPDC launched the Academy, but he was constantly in the loop of all messages in regard to what was going on. Additional funding from the UN allowed the PPDC to expand the infrastructure, hire new personnel and launch new training programs. Of course the form of training was being constantly updated and ever since Caitlin and Sergio Drifted practically by accident, many aspects have been systematized. Cath was just sometimes complaining that Schoenfeld was putting much more of their everyday work on her shoulders while he was focusing on training new cadets.

In December last year marshal Pentecost was appointed to be one of the new Jaeger pilots, both because of his experience and good PR. All following constructions have been improved ever since Brawler Yukon was launched, but there was still a long way to go. Especially when it came to protecting the pilots from nuclear core radiation. J-Tech engineers have been working hard to make sure that a sufficient shielding could be implemented, but so far there were no positive results. And even if there were, it was still not enough to start mass production.

Suddenly, Jin felt a hand resting on his shoulder and it stopped his train of thought. As soon as he turned around he noticed one of Cherno’s pilots, Alexis.

“Hey kid,” he smiled. “Have you seen Sasha? She’s not answering her phone and the tests are about to start.”

“Unfortunately no,” Jin replied. “But I can try and call on her.”

“Thanks.”

Alexis and Sasha Kaidonovsky were a young Russian couple, only recently married. Before they joined PPDC, their job was guarding a maximum security prison. Well-trained by the military and very determined, they seemed to be perfect pilot candidates. For now, it was them holding the longest Drift synchronization record - they managed to go for eighteen hours with a hundred percent. There were not many pilots who were able to go for even one third of that.

Jin was very fond of both of them. Despite their rather serious postures and crude facial expressions, they were treating him like a younger brother of sorts. The situation did have its disadvantages though. Jin was not really a fan of strong alcohol and whenever they celebrated, Alexis would always tried to sneak a shot of vodka his way. Well, at least it made him warm.

Sasha was sometimes acting all motherly towards Jin, but he didn’t really mind. It was thanks to her and Alexis that he would feel almost like home. Even, or maybe especially when Sasha would ask if he had breakfast or if his clothes were warm enough.

Waiting for Sasha, Alexis sat by the desk and put a cup of something in front of Jin.

“Alexis, I’m not drinking at work.”

“Come on, kid, it’s just tea. Who do you think I am, huh?”

Jin answered with a weak smile and reached for the tea. It was strong, but at least it made him feel a little warmer. Still, he was a little suspicious when it came to drinks served by Alexis so he made sure to check for any alcohol fumes before drinking.

Sasha arrive within a few minutes. Judging by the towel draped over her shoulders and the redness on her face Jin assumed that she just left the gym.

“Hey Sasha,” he said, reaching for a tablet. “Ready for some new punches? We programmed two so far, it would be great if we could try them out.”

“Sure,” she answered, kissing her husband’s forehead. “Just give me a minute to get changed and we can start.”

The postures of both Sasha and Alexis were a little intimidating. Additionally, they always kept very straight, as if looking down on everyone else. Jin assumed it must be the prison influence. Luckily, their personalities in no way reflected their looks. They were incredibly nice, although they did lose their temper quickly sometimes and Jin didn’t always find their sense of humor amusing in the slightest.

When the Kaidonovsky’s suited up, they stepped into the simulator. At this point Jin didn’t want to test the programming in an actual Jaeger. Besides, putting the pilots inside Cherno was a challenge by itself - due to the specific design of Cherno the cockpit was located in the Jaeger’s chest, not in its head. One one hand it required a huge amount of time just to install the pilots in the harness, but on the other - the pilots were protected in a much better way. Still, Jin was pretty sure that due to it’s complicated nature this solution will not be widely implemented.

During the tests the Kaidonovsky’s were always very effective, not wasting time or energy for unnecessary moves. During every test Jin understood more and more why they were a perfect choice for piloting Cherno. The discipline and precision these two were showing was uncommon among other pilots. For this type of operating system and body language there was no possible option to find a better match. Especially since they were so focused on what they were doing that it was impossible to lower their synchronization in the Drift.

Piloting Cherno could have been a struggle, but not for them. Despite the fact that the current test only featured a couple of moves, they managed to nail them. Every blow, every punch and punch was performed with such precision that it seemed impossible for a Jaeger as heavy as Cherno to move that way. They followed the programming effortlessly and learned the moved in just a few tries. Additionally, they even managed to combine them into a deadly combo possibly lethal to any kaiju.

When the test was done and the Kaidanovsky’s left to untangle themselves from all the equipment, Jin summed up the test results and turned the computer off. It was Sunday, his favourite day of the week. On every Sunday afternoon all personnel met in the mess hall to enjoy a delicious dinner and a special dessert, usually watching a movie or some kind of fun program at the same time. Jin was always impatiently waiting for those days as he could finally unwind and just relax. The overall cozy atmosphere allowed him to forget about all the hardships they had to face, even if just for a little while. Just for these few hours they could pretend that they were a group of friends meeting to spend time together, not an army gearing up to fight giant world-threatening monsters.

When Jin reached the mess hall, Andre was already sitting at one of the tables and gestured at the boy to join him. Jin sat down and gladly accepted the basket of bread that Andre was passing around.

“Many delicious things today, kid,” Andre said, smiling softly and pouring hot tea into two cups. “Pelmeni, savory pancakes with smoked salmon, dumplings… this is what I’m talking about! Also, they managed to bring some freshly baked ginger cookies, although I have no idea where they found them.”

Jin glanced around the room and noticed that the tables were indeed overloaded with delicious dishes. He had to admit that he was a huge fan of Russian food. At some point in his life he was sure that nothing could rival the Japanese cooking, but even though the food here didn’t look half as amazing, it tasted way better. Definitely better than what his parents used to force him to eat sometimes.

Sasha and Alexis sat on the opposite side of the table. Alexis seemed to be very pleased with a plate he put together for himself - different types of dumplings, salads and a few loaves of fresh bread.

“I’m starving,” he murmured, reaching over to grab a pot of tea. “Hey! Do we have anything stronger to drink here?”

“Don’t even try.” Sasha said dryly, looking at him with a frown. “I’m not carrying you back to our room again.”

Alexis blew her a kiss and immediately started to devour his food. Jin smiled. He liked watching them together. The way they displayed their affection towards each other was something he always enjoyed.

The evening was lazy, filled with bad jokes and an occasional brag from the crew members. Jin sat comfortably in one of the armchairs located close to their huge screen and kept looking at the movie they played with no actual interest. He didn’t really care about the story at all, but there was a small group of people next to him commenting on every single thing happening on the screen. For a moment he thought it might be a good idea to join them, but suddenly a panicking communications officer ran into the mess hall, trying to catch his breath.

“Turn this off!” He shouted, looking for a remote control. “We have a kaiju in the breach! Codename Onibaba! Turn on the news!”

Only then did the entire base fill with alarm sounds. For a moment Jin thought he might go deaf from the noise. When the technician finally found the remote, he immediately switched to a news channel and they could see that the kaiju was expected to head towards Japan.

Suddenly Jin felt nauseous. He kept looking at the screen and the information bars communicating everything in different languages. A huge crab-like creature was advancing fast, visibly targeting the Tokyo shores, where one single blow of his clawed arms would bring down buildings and bury hundreds of civilians underneath the rubble.

He must have appeared to be in absolute dread, because Sasha approached him fast. She squeezed his wrist and looked him in the eyes.

“It’s okay, Jin”, she said, voice much softer than he was used to. “We just got word that it’s marshal Pentecost who is being sent to fight in Coyote Tango. He’s going to bring that bastard down,  _ malchik _ . Everything’s going to be okay.”

For a moment, he believed her. She actually made him feel better. But then he noticed how fast the kaiju was destroying the buildings and he understood that no, it was not going to be okay. Once again he felt panic rise up in his stomach, making him unable to move, speak or think.

His parents arrived in Tokyo two days prior to do some sightseeing.

***

**MAY 17TH 2016, RUSSIA**

Jin was sitting on an armchair in one of the common rooms they had in the base, nervously clutching his phone in one hand. It has been two days since Onibaba attacked Tokyo and he still had no word from his parents. There was no way to reach them, no way to make contact. He felt like the attack happened a very long time ago and the hours were stretching like warm taffy, only adding to his stress.

He almost jumped when he heard the phone ring. He looked at the screen with both dread and hope, but unfortunately it was not any of his parents.

It was Cath.

“Jin,” she started talking immediately when he picked up the phone. “I just heard what happened. Alexis told me you haven’t heard from your parents. I just wanted to tell you that we’re doing everything we can to find them, okay? All search teams are on it, and besides…”

“Cath,” he cut her mid-sentence. He didn’t really want to talk about it. “It’s fine. How are you?”

She seemed to pick up on his feelings quickly, because she immediately changed the subject.

“A lot of work. Nothing new. When are you coming back?”

“Not soon. We’re not done with Cherno yet. After that we might have to go somewhere else depending on where we’re needed.”

Silence. Only for a few seconds, but for Jin it seemed like eternity.

“Do you want me to come to Russia?”

She surprised him. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to organize, especially with all the responsibilities she currently had. Of course he wanted her to come. But he also knew that he can’t be selfish when world peace was at stake and that it’s something he shouldn’t be asking of her.

“No, it’s okay,” he said with a loud sigh. “I have a lot of work to do and I’ll just focus on that. We’ll talk later, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Cath’s answer was careful, but sure. “Let me know if you change your mind. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Thanks.”

He put the phone down and hid his face behind his hands. Up until then, everything seemed to be going on somewhere else, not in his close vicinity, not affected those he knew. Vancouver, Cabo… it all seemed to be so far away, making it easy to pretend it wasn’t really about him. But now it suddenly was. The monster attacked Japan, attacked Tokyo, exactly when his parents went there for vacation. He couldn’t even remember their last conversation. They were not in touch ever since they informed him that they were leaving for Tokyo in two weeks and told him not to overwork himself. What now? There was a real chance that he was never going to see them again, that he was never going to talk to them again. That he won’t get another chance to tell them how much he loves them.

The thought itself almost made him go crazy.

In this exact moment Sasha entered the common room. She smiled at Jin and approached him, sitting on an armchair next to him. He didn’t want to talk to her. He didn’t really feel like talking to  _ anyone. _

“Jin,” her voice was soft, her expression focused, but pleasant. “I understand that you probably want to be alone now. I don’t think that it’s a good idea.”

He didn’t answer. Not because he felt angry or anything. He just didn’t know what to say.

“Listen,” she pulled her chair closer to his and placed a hand on his armrest. “You’re still young. Actually, you’re still just a kid and you don’t really know what war is. This is it. Fear for your life, but more importantly for the lives of those you love. This uneasiness, anxiety, lack of information, uncertainty… I understand that. I’ve been through this and so has Alexis. But you can’t give up. We need you.”

He looked at her, but he still couldn’t find the words to say anything.

“You don’t have to talk to me,” she continued, looking him in the eyes. “But I want you to listen to me. You have us. We will protect you with all we have. We’re in this together and we can only face the kaiju together. You are not alone. I hope you understand this.”

Jin suddenly felt tears running down his cheeks. Weird feeling. It didn’t even register that he was crying.

“PPDC is going to do everything in their power to find your parents. And we will do everything in our power to take care of you during their absence. Do you understand? You won’t be alone. We’ll help you get through this.”

He didn’t even notice when he fell apart. Sasha sat on his armrest and hugged him without a word. It was probably the time he finally realized what really was at stake here, what the actual consequences were. The lost and the killed were not just random numbers in the news. Every single one of them was someone’s mother, someone’s father, brother or sister. Every pointless death created a void impossible to be filled. At least he had hope. As long as no bodies were found, he still had hope.

Sasha let him cry his eyes out into her sleeve, whispering words of support from time to time. He was really grateful for that gesture, even though he never said it. She never mentioned it again either. In that moment she just did everything she could to help him, to lift at least a small part of this weight off his shoulders.

***

**JUNE 2016, RUSSIA**

Sasha was eating dinner in the mess hall and kept looking at Jin slouching on the other side of the room. He was eating together with Andre in silence, looking into something on his tablet. Theoretically, the kid was behaving as always. He kept working according to their plans, meeting all the deadlines and was just as polite as ever. Still, she could sense the struggle within. It has been almost a month since Onibaba hit Tokyo, but there were still no news about his parents. Unfortunately the more time passed, the less likely it was to find them alive - especially since then another kaiju, codename Itak, attacked Japan and added to the damage.

Coyote Tango was sent into battle again, this time accompanied by Tacit Ronin, the pride of Japanese engineers. It was the first time Stacker Pentecost fought alongside someone else than Tamsin Sevier, who was diagnosed with cancer just a few weeks before. It could have been expected that the radiation poisoning was going to influence pilots sooner or later. Unfortunately with the first machines they built, time was of essence. There was no time to create more effective shielding. Only now did the PPDC have enough time and resources to actually conduct more research and fix their previous mistakes. The most recent Jaegers had much better protection, but it was still far from perfect.

It was clear as day that holding on was taking its toll on Jin. The dark circles under his eyes were bigger than ever before. It hurt Sasha physically just to look at him, but she also knew that it was impossible for anyone else to walk this path instead of him. They could offer support, sure, but he had to pull through on his own and try to piece everything together himself.

Sasha also suffered through many losses in her life and had to mourn too many dead. The kaiju war, Russian persecution and fighting the oppressive government she remembered from her childhood have taken its toll on her family, but Alexis was none the better. This is why they decided not to have kids until the situation calms down. As soon as the kaiju war is over, they will finally have time to peacefully plan their future. If they get to have one.

She sighed. It certainly didn’t seem as though the conflict was supposed to end soon. Even though the scientists were doing their best to understand the kaiju phenomenon and the Breach itself, they were still left with not enough answers. They didn’t even know what the kaiju were after. Simple destruction didn’t seem to be the case - the monsters were definitely more intelligent than that, even though they still couldn’t compare to humans on that front. The one thing they were sure about was the fact that they had to do everything in their power to stop them. Whatever it took.

She grabbed her food tray and moved next to Jin. Andre left to get back to work, but the kid was still sitting there, jabbing the broccoli with his knife.

“Eat your veggies, okay?” She said, looking into his plate. “You’ll need vitamins.”

“I don’t like  _ veggies. _ ”

“Well I don’t like them either, but have you ever seen me complaining?”

He looked at her and she noticed a small smile on his lips.

“That’s exactly what my mother used to say.”

“Sounds like one smart lady then. Now eat the broccoli.”

Jin reluctantly stabbed one broccoli with his fork and lifted it up. He looked at it for a while and finally put it into his mouth, chewed a bit and swallowed it down.

“Happy now?”

“Not yet. You still have some on your plate.”

He smiled again. Apparently her presence did make it better somehow. She was glad that she could at least be of  _ some _ help. On one hand she didn’t want to impose, but then again it did seem that he needed it every once in a while.

She sat there by his side, trying to entertain him with an occasional comment until he was done with his food. At least he was eating now. For an entire week after the incident she hasn’t seen him with any food whatsoever. It was a relief to see him at least try to eat.

After dinner Sasha came back to her room. Alexis was there, laying on the bede and reading a book. She sat next to him and brushed his arm with her fingertips.

“Is something wrong?” He asked, concern obvious in his voice.

“I’m worried about Jin,” she answered, laying down beside him. “I don’t know why, but somehow I feel responsible for him. It’s hard for me to see him suffer.”

Alexis put the book away and moved closer to her, planting a soft kiss on her cheek.

“I understand. I worry about him too. But he’s a smart kid. Well, he’s still a kid, but a rather smart one. He’ll be fine. Eventually.”

“I hope so,” she sighed and turned her head to look at Alexis. “At least he ate something today. I sat with him and he even smiled at my jokes. Still, I’m pretty sure it’s very hard on him to just  _ not know. _ ”

“Oh, definitely. If he knew what happened, he would at least know whether he should mourn or celebrate. This way, he’s somehow stuck in between.”

“Exactly. I don’t think he’s mentally prepared to deal with something like this. I was actually thinking that our psychologist might be able to help him a little.”

“Well, there’s no harm in trying. I mean, the psychologists are dedicated to pilots, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Sasha stood up and approached her computer. She wanted to contact the psychologists in the base immediately. She sent them a short e-mail and immediately reached for a cigarette she immediately put in her mouth. She lit the cigarette, inhaled slowly and closed her eyes.

These kids were not ready. They had no way to deal with such stress. Maybe they were smart, but they knew nothing about life, they were never prepared for such circumstances. PPDC never really gave it much thought, focusing on the fact that the monsters had to be dealt with at all costs. And that was fair, yes, but now that they have finally achieved  _ something _ they should probably make sure that their staff is well taken care of. If not, they could start losing people soon. And she was not thinking about the pilots.

She will have to talk to Pentecost about this before they lose their most important recruits.


	4. Hansen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So have you ever built a Jaeger of your own?”
> 
> Her hand suddenly stopped moving against Max’s soft back. Her own? No, never. She did work with modifications, upgrades and such, trying to understand how others build things, but she never designed an entire Jaeger herself. Parts, elements, yes. But never an entire Jaeger.
> 
> “No,” she answered silently. “Not yet.”
> 
> “Well, I think you should,” he nodded vigorously. “If you’re so smart.”
> 
> Maybe I should, she thought. Maybe that’s why I’m here. Maybe I should design my own Jaeger, much more advanced, much stronger than the ones currently in service. Maybe I should really look into it and put my talents to use. Maybe Schoenfeld was right giving me his position. Maybe I will succeed and surpass my own expectations.
> 
> “Maybe I should,” she said after a while. “And maybe I will.”

**JUNE 2016, ALASKA**

Cath woke up with a very irritating headache. She hasn’t been sleeping well for the last few days and it didn’t seem like it was going to change anytime soon. Ever since Schoenfeld left her with most of his everyday duties she was slowly starting to lose it. To be fair, he did promise her some new recruits to take the load off her shoulders, but she had no idea when they were going to arrive. Additionally, she had a report meeting on that day and she was supposed to meet not only Schoenfeld, but also the marshal and one of the pilots to discuss possible changes in the curriculum for the Academy. Just thinking about it made her desire to stay in bed even more overwhelming. She did enjoy the job she was doing, yes, but she was already doing so many things for Schoenfeld that she couldn’t possibly imagine taking even one more duty upon herself, and yet something kept telling her that this was exactly what was going to happen during the meeting. She groaned, turned to her stomach and buried her face in one of the pillows. The headache didn’t seem like it was going to go away.

After a few additional minutes she somehow managed to pull herself together and get up. She took a shower, dressed quickly, brushed her teeth and looked at herself in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes seemed to be a little smaller, but they were still pretty obvious. She approached one of the cabinets with a sigh, taking out a tablet and deciding to go through the reports once again during breakfast. Once again making sure that she had everything she needed in her bag, she left the room and locked the door behind her. Gemma was long gone, or maybe she hasn’t even come back for the night? They kept missing each other when coming back to the room because of all the work to be done. And even when they did meet, they were usually too tired for any engaging conversation.

There were not many people in the mess hall, which was actually a good thing. She didn’t like small talk and the mess hall was the most popular place for that kind of activity. She approached the buffet and looked at the menu.

“Good morning, sweetheart. What can I get you?” Maria, one of the cooks, was always all cute and friendly, no matter the time of day. She addressed everyone in the same way, usually by calling them “sweetheart”, “bunny” or “honey”. Cath didn’t really mind, but she once saw the look on Schoenfeld’s face when she called him “bunny”. She remembered it whenever she was mad at him and couldn’t really talk back. It was hilarious.

“Oatmeal please,” she said, trying to force a smile. “With bananas and, uhh… walnuts?”

“Sure thing. Just a moment.”

Cath took the oatmeal with her, poured hot water over a bag of chamomile tea and sat by an empty table. She had less than an hour before the meeting and she wanted to make sure that all documents are ready. The more Jaegers they were constructing in the hangars, the more work she had to catch up with, but somehow her organizational skills were enough to cover most of it. For now, at least.

She picked an empty table on purpose. It wasn’t that she didn’t like talking to people; it was just hard for her to deviate from what she was currently focusing on and not many people found those topics as fascinating as she did. It made people regard her as boring, stuck-up or sometimes even conceited, but she tried not to let it get to her. Ever since she left school and became part of the Jaeger program, she hasn’t heard any of those words even once. On the contrary - she was regarded as a valuable member of the team, a trustworthy specialist and a well-respected engineer in general. Maybe she wasn’t the best small talk buddy and sometimes came off as cold or boring, but there were far more important things at stake here than her social life. She kept telling herself that and so far it helped.

Jin was probably her closest friend right now. Well, her only friend, to be honest. They met at school and kicked it off almost immediately, resulting in them even sharing a flat at some point. Apart from working on many school projects together, Jin was Cath’s buffer - he was the one communicating with the outside world, always optimistic and upbeat. It was usually him motivating her to join parties or just some friendly meetings, always joking that if it wasn’t for him she would most likely spend all her free time cooped up in her workshop. And he was probably right. At least she didn’t have to try to entertain anyone back there. On the other hand, she did enjoy talking to people from time to time, although she didn’t exactly understand why. Maybe because people were generally social creatures and it was some basic need that she needed to fulfill no matter what? Maybe. She didn’t really know the reason. All she knew was that Jin would always make it better and more acceptable.

She signed. He needed support now and there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t just leave everything and go with all the responsibilities upon her shoulders, even though she really wanted to. PPDC wanted her to prioritize her duties above anything else and it did seem to be a logical thing to do - after all they were at war now. Humanity should be more important than a single human, period. While she did understand the reasoning behind that, it didn’t do much to alleviate her irritation.

She decided to focus on work to somehow push those dark thoughts away from the center of her attention. She finished her oatmeal, looked at her watch and started moving towards Pentecost’s office. She had no idea what to expect from the meeting, but she was hoping that it would at least have no visible impact on her everyday schedule.

***

Stacker Pentecost was not feeling well. The constant pain in his stomach and increasing breathing problems were not adding to his optimism at all. Especially since his co-pilot, Tamsin Sevier, has just been diagnosed with cancer due to prolonged exposure to radiation. The shielding was not a priority during initial constructions, but they had to tackle this problem sooner or later if they didn’t want to lose pilots. Of course there has been a significant improvement ever since they put Brawler Yukon together, but it was apparently still not enough. The marshal couldn’t shake the feeling that it might be too late for him also. Even though the shielding in Coyote Tango was supposed to block more than sixty percent of radiation, it was still enough to give Tamsin a death sentence. It might have been enough to give him one too.

His train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. He knew exactly who was on the other side, so he tried really hard not to show any negative emotions in his face. When he opened the door his guest was right there, standing tall with dark ginger hair with a few grey strands and a sad smile on his face.

“Stacker,” Hercules Hansen, a former RAAF pilot, decided to skip formalities and patted his old friend on a shoulder. “You haven’t changed since I saw you last those three months ago.”

“Neither have you,” Pentecost smiled and returned the gesture. “Good to see you again. I hope that your flight went smoother than the last one.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Hercules sat on one of the sofas surrounding a small glass table. “But it’s going to be a while before the Australian base is done. I’m afraid I’ll have to make the journey more than once.”

“Let’s hope it’s not going to be too much,” Stacker sat down on the opposite side of the table. “We need you here. You and Scott are one of our best teams.”

“Yeah right. Quit it with the bullshit, yeah? Tell me how you feel and how Mako is doing instead.”

The marshal didn’t really want to answer those questions and he was incredibly grateful to the fact that another knock on the door interrupted this awkward reunion. He opened the door and noticed Schoenfeld, carrying two tablets in one hand and a cup of coffee in another.

“Great, I see you’re both already here,” Jasper sighed, sitting next to Hercules and greeting him with a nod. “Let’s do this quick so I can get back to work.”

“Pleasant as always,” Pentecost came back to the table and put a few water bottles on the surface. “Weren’t you supposed to come over with this kid of yours?”

“I was,” Schoenfeld answered, reaching for one of the bottles. “But I told her to arrive fifteen minutes later because there’s something I want to discuss with the two of you.”

Pentecost and Hercules exchanged glances, but neither said anything.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing you should be worried about,” Jasper connected a tablet to one of the screens of the walls and displayed something akin to a huge engine. “I just want us all to be on the same page. This is a design of a fully functional radiation shield that we’re going to introduce to all following Jaeger models. We have completed the tests and certified it yesterday.”

Neither Stacker, nor Hercules pretended to understand the technical drawing.

“Well, it’s great news,” Hercules spoke after a while. “But I don’t really understand why you’re telling us about it now.”

“I’m telling you about it now because I want you to know that Keats designed it herself with no additional help.”

“And…?”

“And I think it’s high time she stopped working for me and got a promotion. Don’t tell her I told you that, but she’s the most skilled and the smartest engineer I have on my team. Oh, and there’s one more thing.”

Pentecost frowned.

“What thing?”

“The thing that I’m leaving. The UN appointed me to lead the Military Commission’s Certification Committee. You didn’t get a memo?”

This was not something Pentecost was expecting. No, there was no memo. And no phone call. Not to mention that nobody even asked him about his opinion.

“So I understand that you want her to take your place?”

“Yes, it’s exactly what I want. I can’t find anyone better suited to do the job. But I want _ you _to tell her.”

Stacker really didn’t want to be _ told _ what to do. Especially when it concerned _ his _ people. And now it wasn’t just that Schoenfeld was leaving because of a UN decision nobody even consulted with the marshal; he also wanted to appoint his youngest engineer to take his place. Great. Just _ great. _

“I can give her a test period. I can’t promise anything else. I assume that you can vouch for her?”

“Of course I can,” Schoenfeld rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t be telling you this otherwise now, would I? All papers will be on your desk in the afternoon. I’ll transfer my access and my schedule to her over the next two weeks and then I’m off to New York.”

“But we can still count on your help, I presume.”

“Of course. I’d never leave her _ completely _ alone with all this mess.”

The marshal didn’t expect things to turn out this way. Unfortunately he didn’t have much to say when it came to UN decisions. He had to believe that Schoenfeld knew what he was doing. He may not have been the most pleasant person to be around, but he never neglected his duties. Also, he was the only one who knew his engineers well enough to make such a decision.

Another knock on the door sounded soon. Before Pentecost had the time to react, Schoenfeld stood up and opened it, turning the presentation off at the same time. A young, short girl entered the room; the marshal recalled seeing her among the engineers multiple times. She looked stressed and tired. He was really hoping that Schoenfeld knew what he was doing.

“Good morning,” she said, stopping by the table. She noticed Hercules and shook his hand. “Catherine Keats, on your service. It’s good to have you back, sir.”

“Good morning,” Herc mirrored the gesture. “Haven’t we met before?”

“We have, sir. Lucky Seven, beginning of the year. I helped with right arm reinforcements.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Hercules smiled at her. “Great job.”

“Thank you.”

Schoenfeld shot Pentecost a look that could only be read as an _ I told you so. _

“Alright, alright,” Jasper chimed in. “Save the sweet talk for later, let’s get to business. Keats, do you have the latest test reports for the shield?”

“I do. Should I display it on the screen?”

“Yes. Tell us more about the solution please.”

Cath connected her tablet to the screen and displayed the test results. She approached the screen and started talking.

“Using new led alloys allowed us to create a surface both durable enough not to melt in high temperatures and resistant enough to absorb 99.9% of the radiation. Combined with reinforced drivesuits the resistance will easily reach 100%. We had to work around the cockpit systems to create a different solution for oxygen delivery, but as soon as we finished the tests we understood that combined together it proves to be a perfect solution for radiation shielding. I suggest we start retrofitting the older Jaegers next week, as soon as the second round of tests is done.”

“So do I,” Schoenfeld turned to face both the marshal and Hercules. “Now the marshal has something to tell you.”

Pentecost sent a warning glance towards Schoenfeld, but didn’t comment. He didn’t want to elicit any conflicts before his departure.

“Schoenfeld was appointed to join the UN,” he said softly, making sure his voice didn’t convey any emotions whatsoever. “Which means he will be leaving shortly and you are going to take his place. You will be promoted to chief engineer and you’re going to move into his old office.”

The room suddenly went completely silent. Cath had no idea what to say. This was not what she was expecting from this meeting. An update, sure. Some new information about the training programs, yes. But _ not this. _

“But… how?”

“Just like that,” Schoenfeld said suddenly. “I recommended you to take my place because I have other matters to attend to. There will be people to help you, of course. And together with Hercules you will have to create a draft for the new training program. I’ll be here for the next two weeks so I’ll help you set it up. After that, I’ll be in New York and you’ll be able to call me. But please, not too often.”

Cath was not even surprised anymore. She was _ frightened. _ Not only was she going to take over all of Schoenfeld’s responsibilities, but also the training program? She suddenly felt a huge ball of ice forming in her stomach. She had to leave the room as soon as possible or she was going to puke on her own shoes.

“New recruits will be here on Friday,” Hercules said, apparently trying to brighten the mood a little. “We can start working on the training program tomorrow. Jasper, are you free?”

“Yeah, tomorrow afternoon is fine. Keats, start packing, you’ll be moving into my office tomorrow morning. Now you can go and relax for the rest of the day. Eat something and get some sleep.”

Cath wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words. She also really didn’t want to open her mouth. She nodded, took her things and left, carefully closing the door behind her.

Pentecost looked at Schoenfeld, who seemed to be very pleased with himself.

“I really hope you know what you’re doing. She didn’t seem ready.”

“She _ is _ready,” Schoenfeld suddenly seemed very interested in his own fingernails. “She doesn’t even realize how long she has been working independently. If I didn’t give her this push, she would still come to me to consult every single tiny decision. Her ideas have been way more innovative than mine for a while now. It’s actually a good thing that I will be joining the Committee. I can finally cut her loose, yeah? Of course she will be stressed for a while, but I’m sure she’ll adapt in the blink of an eye. I have seen her grow ever since she came here and now she knows everything I do. So with all due respect, I don’t have anyone more qualified and I probably won’t.”

Hercules looked at Schoenfeld. He did seem confident in what he was saying. He was starting to think that his transfer to the Committee happened behind Pentecost’s back for a reason.

“Alright then,” he said after a while, taking a deep breath. “Let’s talk about the new recruits. I have a few recommendations and Stacker said that the applications have been flying in like crazy.”

“That is correct,” Pentecost stood up and took a huge folder from one of the shelves. “We have quite a few of them, so let’s get to it.”

***

Cath was walking so fast it almost felt like running when she approached the hangar. She only toned the speed down a little when she approached the vending machines. She had to drink something cold, something refreshing, because the hot flashes she was getting didn’t want to subside just by themselves. She pressed her forehead against one of the vending machines and welcomed the coolness against her skin. She had to calm down. Everything was okay, yeah? She just got a promotion. She will have an office of her own. She will be the new chief engineer.

_ Oh my God. _

Why hasn’t Schoenfeld even mentioned it earlier? It wasn’t like him to make this kind of decision on a whim. He must have been thinking about it for a while now. Even though he sometimes seemed brash and irrational she knew very well that he never left anything to chance. Why hide it then? Did he think that it would be easier for her to adapt this way? Well, if he did, he was _ very, very _ wrong.

What if she doesn’t live up to the expectations? Yes, she was good at what she did, but managing an entire program and a huge team of people was something completely different. After all, the world’s security was at stake here. It terrified her to think that she might fail. Up until then Schoenfeld was her anchor, an umbrella protecting her should anything go wrong. Now she was supposed to be making all of the decisions herself. What if she’s wrong? What if here upgrades are not enough? What if something terrible happens because of her mistake? What if she won’t be able to cooperate with the team?

Without really thinking what she was doing, she punched the vending machine with all her strength. It was still impossible for her to focus, so she did it again. The pain in her knuckles was a welcome distraction from all those raging thoughts.

It was then that she heard an unfamiliar voice somewhere behind her.

“Umm… is everything okay?”

She stopped her fist mid-air and turned her head slowly. Behind her was a _ kid. _ Tall, skinny and red-haired, with a few freckles on his face, wearing an oversized jacket. Her eyes drifted to a ball of wrinkles he was holding. Noticing a nose and two paws, Cath assumed it must have been a _ dog. _

What was a _ kid with a dog _ doing in the hangar?

“Excuse me?”

“You have been standing here for the last few minutes hitting the machine with your fist, Miss. Doesn’t it hurt?”

Cath suddenly became aware of her hand again, clenching and unclenching it slowly. It did hurt, but not too much. Enough to drown out the irritation somehow.

“A little. But it’s fine. I’ll be okay.”

“You can hold the dog if you want. It always makes me feel better.”

The entire situation was so absurd that Cath didn’t even notice when the kid placed the puppy in her hands. She lifted it up a little, scrutinizing the wrinkles. English bulldog, still very young.

“What’s his name?”

“Max. I got him from my dad. He’s still tiny, but my dad told me that he’ll be big enough to take on a kaiju one day.”

Cath was surprised to notice that the tension was indeed leaving her. She cuddled the dog against her chest, stroking its back affectionately. It closed its eyes and whined a little. So ugly yet so cute, she thought.

“Listen,” she spoke to the kid after a while. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be somewhere… safer?”

“No,” the kid sat down on one of the benches, fumbling with one of his sleeves. “My dad is in a meeting and told me not to go anywhere until he’s done. Oh, and not to bother anyone. I’m not bothering you, am I?”

“No, it’s okay,” Cath also sat down on the bench, placing the dog gently in her lap and scratching behind its ears. “Did your dad tell you when he’s going to be back?”

“He just said that he’s going to be busy and that I have to behave.”

Father of the year, Cath thought. Leaving his kid in a hangar and not telling him when he’s going to pick him up. Awesome.

“What’s your name, kid?” She asked, hoping to be able to identify his father somehow to let him know what she thinks about his behavior later.

“Charles Hansen. But my everyone calls me Chuck. You can call me Chuck too.”

Her eyes widened with disbelief. So his father was Hercules Hansen? Well, she’s definitely not going to scold the man. Although she thought he was more responsible.

“Okay, Chuck. My name is Catherine Keats, but you can call me Cath.”

“Sure, Cath.”

“Exactly. Now tell me, what’s up with you being here? I mean, in Alaska?”

“I came here from Australia with my dad. He said we’re going to be here for a while, but I don’t really like it here. It’s cold and I don’t know anyone. Well, I know Max, but he’s not that fun to talk to.”

Cath sighed. Did Hercules really think that the Anchorage base was a good place for a kid Chuck’s age? Then again, he might have had no other option but to bring him here. Maybe he didn’t want him to be alone. At least he could be with his father here, but in Australia? Maybe there was no family to leave him with. Maybe they also suffered from the kaiju attack. She decided not to ask too many questions, not wanting to upset the boy.

“How old are you?” She asked after a while, petting Max at the same time. The dog was fast asleep and she could hear soft snoring coming from somewhere beneath the wrinkles.

“Thirteen,” the kid answer with some kind of pride in his voice. “But my dad says I’m much smarter than a regular kid my age. Whatever that means.”

“Well, well,” Cath tried to sound as sympathetic as possible. “So what are you going to do here? During your stay?”

“What am I going to do?!” Chuck suddenly sounded offended. “I’m going to train! I want to be a pilot just like my dad. But the best there ever was.”

She smiled. The boy did look determined. And he was right in a way; there was not much else he could be doing here.

“Alright, alright,” she made a gesture meant to calm him down a little. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you then. I on the other hand want to be the best Jaeger engineer there ever was.”

“You’re an engineer? Wow!” Chuck’s eyes lit up suddenly. “So you’re building all those machines?”

“Yes I do,” she smiled again, not really used to her line of work getting this kind of attention. “Well, I’m not exactly doing it alone, but I guess you could say that.”

“That’s so cool,” the boy suddenly moved closer. “Did you build Coyote Tango? It’s my favourite!”

“I didn’t build it, but I did work on it, yes.”

“So have you ever built a Jaeger of your own?”

Her hand suddenly stopped moving against Max’s soft back. Her own? No, never. She did work with modifications, upgrades and such, trying to understand how _ others _ build things, but she never designed an entire Jaeger herself. Parts, elements, yes. But _ never an entire Jaeger. _

“No,” she answered silently. “Not yet.”

“Well, I think you should,” he nodded vigorously. “If you’re so smart.”

Maybe I should, she thought. Maybe that’s why I’m here. Maybe I should design my own Jaeger, much more advanced, much stronger than the ones currently in service. Maybe I should really look into it and put my talents to use. Maybe Schoenfeld _ was _ right giving me his position. Maybe I will succeed and surpass my own expectations.

“Maybe I should,” she said after a while. “And maybe I will.”

Suddenly, Max woke up and licked her palm.

“He likes you!” Chuck said, looking at the dog and smiling.

“I like him too,” Cath answered with a chuckle. “But I have one more question for you.”

“Bring it on.”

“Are you hungry?”

Chuck was suddenly lost in thought.

“A little. Breakfast was, like, five hours ago.”

“Come on then. We can eat something in the mess hall.”

She carefully handed Max over to Chuck and stood up from the bench, stretching her arms. One quick message to Pentecost later (just to let him know that Hansen junior was with her) she left for the mess hall together with the kid. She was really hoping they will be serving something edible that day.

Chuck sat down at one of the long benches while Cath went to get the food. Maria was there at the buffet, still all bubbly and smiling.

“What can I get you for lunch?” She asked, reaching for a plate.

“Pancakes. Two servings. Oh, and two lemonades.”

“Coming right up!”

Cath placed the plates on a tray and returned to the table. Chuck was playing with Max, but he waved a hand at her as soon as he noticed her approaching.

“Here you go,” she placed one serving of pancakes and one lemonade on the table in front of him. “Enjoy your meal.”

“I will!”

As soon as he started eating Cath was back to her train of thought. The idea that has just been seeded in her brain would not go away easily. Why wouldn’t she try to create something of her own? She never thought about it before, but suddenly it seemed like a natural course of action. She wasn’t ready yet, that’s for sure, but there will be plenty of options to gain more experience. She would have to change some things though, such as maybe find an alternative to the nuclear core. She did exchange a few emails with Jacob Danvers, an engine specialist at some point. She’ll have to see what he was up to recently. There was also Gemma who was slowly growing to be an exceptional Neural Bridge operator. Oh right, Gemma! She was supposed to tell her that she’s moving to a new office. She’ll probably be glad to have more room for herself.

“Hey!”

Chuck’s voice suddenly brought her back to reality.

“What?” she asked, facing him with an inquisitive gaze.

“Aren’t you eating your pancakes?”

She looked at her plate. She completely forgot about lunch.

“I am,” she answered. “But I had to think some things through.”

“So you’re so smart but you can’t eat and think at the same time?”

She snorted. Cheeky little punk.

“I can, but I usually don’t want to.”

“You’re weird. But fun.”

She reached for one of the pancakes and took a bite. Maybe I am weird, she thought. But Chuck didn’t mean to insult her. He meant it as a compliment. She smiled again, suddenly feeling empowered in her decision. Well, world, bring it on. Let Schoenfeld dump everything on her. She’s not only going to nail it, she’s also going to design her own Jaeger. She just has to come up with a plan.

Oh, she was going to show them.


End file.
